Fire-escape



2 Sheets-Sheet l. J N URI FIRE ESCAPE.

(No Model.)

Patented Feb. 8, 1898.

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J. N. URI. FIRE ESCAPE.

NQ. 598,544. Patented Feb. 8, 1898.

5 Mme-M1 07,

wimaoow 61 HOT/Ma llwrrn JOSEPH NICHOLAS URI, OF S'llilINAUER, NEBRASKA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,544, dated February8, 1898 Application filed July 12, 1897. Serial No. 644,278. (No model.)

T aZZ whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH N IOHOLAS URI, of Steinauer, in the county ofPawnee and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to fire-escapes of the extensible-ladder type; andits object is to provide an improved construction of device of thischaracter wherein provision is made for the compact folding of theladder-sections andmeans provided to project the said sections beyondthe plane of the wall of the building when in use to enable the feet ofthe person descending to be placed onthe rounds thereof; I

A further object is to provide the suspending-bracket with a rolleradapted to bend or break, and thus relieve the said bracket of unduestrain ensuing from a sudden jar caused by the entanglement and suddendropping of one or more sections or the accidental release of aplurality of sectionswhile lowering, and to provide a novel constructionof side pieces for the ladder-sections, and spindle-rounds connectingthe same to insure strength and lightness and free movement of saidsections upon one another.

To this end the invention consists in the novel constructions andcombinations here I inafter more fully described, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is' a vertical sectional view through the wall of a building,illustrating the application of my device; Fig. 2, afrontelevation oftheladder extended for use; Fig. 8, a sectional view through twoadjoining ladder-sections; Figs. 4. and 5 are side views, respectively,of the inner and outer plates of two adjoining ladder-sections; Fig. 6,an enlarged detailed view of one of the spindle-rounds, and Fig. 7 aperspective view of one of the wall-supports.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, Adesignates the walls of the building, and A one of the windowframes setinto the same. The ladder comangular relation.

same to the wall, said supporting-plates being arranged in practice atopposite sides of the window-frame. The flanged portion 0 of eachbracket supporting plate extends parallel with the side bar of thewindow-frame, and said plates of the two brackets are connected loy-abolt 0, rigidly connected therewith, and a roller 0, journaled in saidplates and arranged above the bolt. This roller is of smaller diameterthan the bolt and is preferably constructed of some suitable soft metaladapted to'bend or break under less strain than the said bolt is capableof enduring, for a purpose hereinafter described.

The ladder comprises a series of foldable and extensible sections D D,adapted when in folded condition to rest upon the floor ad- I jacent theWindow, as shown in Fig. 1. The

sections D D are arranged alternately throughout the length of theladder, the side pieces of the said sections D extending on the insideof the side pieces of the other sections D. The said side pieces at ofthe sections D are formed at each end thereof with rectangular slots d,while the side pieces d of the sections D are formed at their ends withenlarged circular slots or openings d The spindles F connecting theadjoining ends of these sections constitute the steps or rounds of theladder and are formed at each end with a reduced circular portion f, arectangular portion f of smaller size than said circular portion, and athreaded extremity f The ends of the side plates d of the sections D fitover and upon the circular portion f, and the rectangular slot d of theside pieces dof the sections D engage the square portions f, while a not9 engages the threaded extremity f and maintains said sections inposition.

By this construction it will beseen that while the side pieces at arefixed with relation to the spindle-rounds the side pieces (1 are adaptedto move thereon to enable the said sections to be folded one upon theother and to extend in By this construction and the location of thepivoted side pieces (1 on the inner side the sections may be movedfreely in each other without injuring the threaded extremity f of thespindle-rounds and rendering the nuts 9 liable to drop off.

For the purpose of strength and lightness I construct the side pieces ofthe ladder-sections with a comparatively thin central portion and makethe ends thereof, upon which the strain directly comes, comparativelythick, so that they will not wear out from the frequent moving of thesections upon one another.

The ladder is secured to the bracket B by links or connecting-bars I,formed with eyes 2' to engage the bolt 0 at one end, and at its oppositeor upper end with eyes t" to engage the spindle-round of the upperladder-section. Adjacent the eyes 'i the upper ends of theseconnecting-bars bear against the roller 0' and are curved around thesame, as. at g, so as to throw the upper section of the ladder towardthe center of the window-frame to enable the same to be lowered withease and facility. When the fire-escape is lowered for use, this roller0 is adapted to partially rotate to compensate for the jerking of thesections and to bend or break to relieve the bolt of undue strainensuing from a sudden jar, such as is caused, for instance, by the Ientanglement and sudden dropping of one or more sections or theaccidental release of a plurality of sections from the operator duringthe operation of lowering the same. This is an important feature of myinvention.

In order to prevent the ladder-sectionswhen lowered for use fromextending parallel with and abutting against the wall of the building, Ihave provided supporting-plates K, secured to the outer side of the wallof the building, one below the other, in vertical line with the windowand provided with a downwardly-projecting plate 70, against which theladder-sections are adapted to rest. By means of this support the ladderis projected out from the building-wall so that ample space is affordedto enable the person descending to place his feet upon thespindle-round. By making the plates of these supports to extenddownwardly no obstruction is offered to the free descent of the ladder.

It will be seen from the above that I have provided a simple andeffective construction of fire-escape which may be manufactured at acomparatively small cost and possessing advantages due to its peculiarconstruction alone.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fire-escape, the combination of a bracket adapted to be securedto the wall adjacent the window and consisting of two attaching-plates,a bolt connecting the same, a roller journaled in said plates andarranged above the bolt, a ladder consisting of a series of extensiblesections, and a connection between the bolt and ladder, said connectionbeing adapted to bear against the roller, substantially as described.

2. In fire escapes, the combination of a bracket adapted to be securedto the wall adjacent the window and comprising two attaching-plates, abolt connecting the same, a roller journaled in said plates above thebolt, said roller being adapted to bend or break 'under less strain thanthe bolt is capable of sustaining, a ladder consisting of a series ofextensible sections, and a connection between the bolt and ladder, saidconnection bearing against the roller, whereby the said roller isadapted to partially rotate during the lowering of the ladder-sections,and to bend or break under the sudden strain of the sudden dropping oraccidental release of said laddersections and thereby relieve the boltof such strain, substantially as described.

3. In fire escapes, the combination of a bracket comprising twoattaching-plates, a bolt connecting the same, a roller journaled in saidplates above the bolt and constructed of reduced size and of materialadapted to bend or break under less strain than the bolt is capable ofenduring, a ladder consisting of a series of extensible sections, andlinks or connecting-bars formed at each end with eyes engaging the boltand upper round of the ladder, said links bearing adjacent their upperends against the roller and curved forwardly around the same,substantially as described.

4. In fire-escapes, the combination of the supporting-bracket providedwith a suspending-bolt and a yielding or breakable roller above saidbolt, a ladder comprising a series of extensible sections, eachcomprising side pieces, the side pieces of one section being arrangedexteriorly of the side pieces of the next adjoining section, the saidexterior side pieces of one section being formed at their ends withrectangular slots and the interior side pieces of the other section withcircular slots or openings, a spindle-round connecting the adjoiningends of the side sections and formed at its outer ends with a reducedround extremity to receive the circular opening of the inner sidepieces, an intermediate rectangular portion to receive the rectangularslot ends of the outer side pieces, a threaded eX- tremity for thereception of a nut, and a connection between the bolt of the bracket andthe upper spindle-round of the ladder, said connection being adapted tobear against the bracket-roller, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH NICHOLAS URI.

Witnesses:

PEARL I. I-IAssLER, (J. H. BACON.

IIO

